Trump Administration Halts Lifesaving USAID Programs Across Middle East and Africa

The Trump administration has officially ended several of the last remaining U.S.-funded humanitarian aid programs across the Middle East and parts of Africa, according to confirmations from a U.S. official and a United Nations official who spoke with the Associated Press on Monday.

The cancellations affect programs overseen by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and were described in internal communications as being terminated "for the convenience of the U.S. Government." The move comes at the direction of Jeremy Lewin, a senior official at the Department of Government Efficiency, a newly established agency led by Trump adviser Elon Musk. Lewin was tasked with managing the wind-down of USAID as part of broader efforts to restructure U.S. foreign assistance.

Roughly 60 contract termination letters were sent to USAID partner organizations over the past week, including some to the World Food Program (WFP), the world's largest food aid provider, a USAID official said. A U.N. official based in the Middle East confirmed that WFP had received cancellation notices for its programs in Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.

Additionally, the funding cut has impacted critical programs in Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe. These initiatives include efforts to provide emergency food assistance, clean water, medical support, and shelter to populations displaced by conflict and natural disasters.

These cancellations mark a significant shift, as the Trump administration had previously promised that it would safeguard emergency humanitarian programs, even while slashing other forms of development aid administered by the State Department and USAID.

The move has raised alarm among aid groups and international observers, who warn that the loss of U.S. support for such essential programs could endanger millions who rely on American-funded humanitarian services for survival in conflict zones and disaster-stricken regions.